Tractor.



T. W. LEGHTFOOT.

TRACTOR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 12. 1914.

Patented June 13, 1916. .7

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T. w. LIGHTF'OOT.

TRACTOR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 12. I914.

. Patented June 13, 1916.

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THB coLUlLBIA ELANOGRAPH 59., WASHINGTON, n. c.

T. W. LiGHTFOOTJ TRACTOR.

Patented June 13, 1916.

APPLlCATlON FILED OCT. 12- I914.

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T. W. LIGHTFOOT.

TRACTOR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 12. 1914.

Patented June'13,

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THOMAS w. LIGI-ITFOOT, oF'YoRK owN, TEXAS;

TnAc'roR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 13,1916.

Application filed October 12, 1914. Serial N 0. 866,370.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS W. LIGHT- roor, a citizen of theUnitedStates, residing at Yorktown, in the county of Dewitt and State ofTexas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tractors, of whichthe following is a. specification. V

This invention relates to road engines and the like and has for anobject to provide a tractor particularly adaptable for use in connectionwith agricultural implements such as plows, for the purpose of advancingthe implements over the ground.

,The invention contemplates among other features the provision of atractor which is of a simple construction having its parts so arrangedthat ready access can be had thereto for the when they become worn, thetractor furthermore being of a light and durable construction toeffectively accomplish the desired result, namely the advancement of anagricultural implement over the ground.

In the further disclosure of the invention reference is to be had to theaccompanying drawings, constituting a part of the specification, inwhich similar .characters of reference denote corresponding parts'in allthe views, and in which:

purpose of repairing the same rights 16 on the body. Loosely mountedFigure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation V of the tractor, Fig. 2 is aplan view of the tractor, Fig. 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan view ofthe rear of the tractor, Fig. 4-is a fragmentary enlarged verticalsectional view taken on line 4-4 in Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is a perspective viewof one of the clutch sleeves, Fig. 6 is a side elevation Fig. 7 is aside elevation of the adjusting member for the rearwardly extendingtables, Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the toothed wheel on the engineshaft, and Fig. 9 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on theline 99 in Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the views I provide a body 10 in thenature of a frame and which at its forward edge is provided with adepending hanger 11 to which is adapted to be attached the agriculturalimplement such as a plow orthe like. A front is carried upon the body 10said engine including a shaft 15 journaled in suitable up of thefriction disk,

wheel '13 being upon the shaft 15 is a sleeve 17 carrying a suitablefriction disk 18 and which is adapted to be advanced into frictionalengagement with a disk-like member 19 keyed to the shaft 15. Free torotate with the sleeve 17 is a toothed wheel 20 which however will slidelongitudinally upon the sleeve and adapted to meshwith a toothed wheel21 carried upon a shaft 22'journaled inthe uprights 16. A lever 23 ismounted to swing about a cross piece 24, said lever engaging with andoperating upon the toothed wheel 20 as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of thedrawing. A spring 25 normally holds the lever in position to hold'thetoothed wheel 20 out of engagement with the toothed wheel 21 23 andterminates in a suitable foot lever 27 in like manner a similar lever.28 is arranged for connection with the toothed wheel 21 and has a cable29 passing to an operating lever 30, and similarly a lever 31 operatesupon the sleeve 17 and has connection with a cable 32 terminating in afoot lever33, it being clearly seen that when the toothed wheels20 and21 intermesh and the tooth wheel 21 meshes with a tooth wheel 34 carriedon a shaft35, the toothed wheel 34 willbe rotated in one directionwhereas a direct intermeshingof the toothed wheels 20 with the toothedwheel 34 will cause the tooth wheel 34 to rotate in the oppositedirection, the toothed wheel 21 constituting the idler which isinterposed between the toothed wheels 20 and 34 would result in areversal of rotation, it being understood, of course that the frictiondisk 18 is at this time in frictional contact with the member 19. j

The shaft 35 carries a smaller toothed wheel 36 meshing with a toothedwheel 37 on a shaft 38 At each end of the shaft '38 there is arranged torotate a sleeve 39 bearing a toothed wheel 40 over which passes a chain41 said chain also passing over a toothed wheel 42 free to have thewheels 13 rotate'therewitmeach' supported upon an independent axle 12 asmentioned heretofore.

locking sleeve is provided for each sleeve 39 s'aid locking sleeve beingindicated by" the numeral 43, with the locking sleeve 13 journaled uponthe body 10..

provided with a series adapted to extend into recesses 45 in the i.

ing sleeve l3 to normally hold the locking sleeve in engagement with thesleeves 39 thus insuring rotation of the toothed wheels o, said lockingsleeve 43 being free to rotate with theshaft 38 and slidablelongitudinally thereof. Thus it will be seen that. there is provided asuitable means for completing the driving connection between the engineand the traction wheel 13 to advance the vehicle over the ground whenthe engine 0 is operated when connection is effected be tween the engineand driving wheels.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that the engine can bethrown out of driving engagement with the wheels 13 when it is desiredto have the vehicle remain stationary without stopping the englne.

A substantially U-shaped rear axle 4:9 is arranged to turn upon a turntable 50 said axle having the usual rear wheels 51 connected thereto andwhich are termed the steering wheels. Braces 52 are provided forproperly supporting the axle 49 to turn and a chain 53 passing over atoothed wheel 54: has its ends secured to the axle l9, said toothedwheel 54: being keyed to a steering rod 55 projecting upwardly throughthe body 10 and provided with a steering wheel 56. A semi-circular guidemember 57 is secured to the axle 4:9 and slides in a sleevelike member58 secured to the under side of the body 10 as shown in Figs. 1 Land 3.Now it will be clearly seen that by operating the steering wheel 56 therear axle can be turned so as to steer the vehicle as it advances overthe ground.

Each of the levers 48 has connection with a cable 59 which passesrearwardly and connects with the axle 49, one of said cables beingconnected to one side of the pivotal point of the axle and the othercable to the other side thereof, with any suitable form of adjustingdevices such as indicated by the numeral 60 being arranged upon thecable to take upv any slack thereon.

Now as mentioned heretofore the clutch sleeve upon the shaft 38 normallylocks. with the sleeve 39 so that as the vehicle is advanced over theground rotation will be imparted to the wheel 13 which assures theadvancement of the'vehicle over the ground. Now when it is desired tomaneuver 'aturn in the road and the operator turns the steering wheel 56thereby turning the wheel '51 at an angle to the body of the vehicle forthe sliding movement of projections 44'' the purpose of negotiating theturn, it will lbe seen that one of the cables 59 will be slacked whereasthe pull will be exerted on the other cable 59 and the pull exerted onthe latter cable 59 will cause the lever -18 5 0 connected with saidcable to be operated and move the clutch sleeve thereon out ofengagement with the particular sleeve 39 with which it is associated,thus causing a discontinuance of rotation of the wheel 13 which is onthe inner side of the vehicle when the turn is being negotiated, thisbeing accomplished without interfering with the rotation of the wheel 13on the outer side of the vehicle so that the vehicle will swing as on apivot and readily and quickly operate to properly advance around a turnor curve in the road. When the axle is again turned to a position wherethe axle 49 is at right angles to the body of the vehicle the cables 59will both be taut and both clutches of said cables will be at oppositepositions to insure the rotation of both wheels 13, simultaneously. Fromthe foregoing description it will be seen that there is provided atraction engine for use in advancing plows, or other agriculturalimplements over the ground and which in its operation can be advanced orretreated on the ground or highway. And it will be furthermore seen thatin negotiating a turn the rear wheels of the engine are the steeringmeans for properly operating and advancing the tractor around a curve'inthe road or highway, said rear wheels coiiperating with the front wheelsto insure continued rotation of the outer front wheel and a stopping ofthe rotation of the inner front wheel when the turn is negotiatedthrough the medium of the rear steering wheels. It will also be seenthat the various parts. of the tractor are of simple construction andare so arranged that they can be easily looked after and kept in goodcondition furthermore being in such position that ready access can behad thereto for the purpose of repairing the same or replacing old partsfor new ones.

Having described the invention what is claimed is:

A tractor including a rectangular frame, a rear steering axle arrangedbeneath the frame,- a forward axle supported by the frame, ground wheelsmounted on the re spective axles, a motor supported on the frame, anddriving mechanism intermediate said motor and the ground wheels on theforward axle, said driving mechanism including an independent. shaftmounted above the frame, gearing intermediate said shaft and the motor,sleeves rotatably mounted on the shaft and extending within the plane ofthe frame, driving connections between the sleeves and the respectiveadjacent ground wheels, and a clutch mechanism intermediate each sleeveand the said In testimony whereof I aflix my signature shaft, saidclutch mechanisms being arin presence of two Witnesses.

ranged and operated Wholly Within the out- THOMAS W. LIGHTFOOT. lineplane of the frame, and connections Witnesses:

5 between each of said clutches and the re- F. KRAEGE,

mote axle. W. C. METZ.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. O.

